Tile Shower Maintenance?

Cow 9

I've seen sporadic answers on Google searches, and I think some sites are way too paranoid with their "wipe down after EVERY use" responses. Anyway, I'm in the middle of a bathroom remodel and it's about time to decide whether to go with a tile shower or a surround kit. I'm not afraid of the work of the install, but I'm nervous for the maintenance required. What have you guys found to be the cleaning frequency and maintenance for tile shower walls? Is it bad? And what type of tile would you recommend. Thanks guys. I'm at my house posting on my phone so I wasn't able to do a search to see if this was covered. Likely going to purchase the tub today.

Blondesense

I have a three pronged approach to keeping my shower clean.

1) I keep the tub draining properly.

2) We switched to liquid soap with the poofs. Bar soap leaves scum.

3) I have a hand held shower head and every day I take literally two or three seconds and rinse the walls before I step out of the shower.

This, along with making sure you have a properly sized vent fan to keep mold from developing, and sealing the grout as directed, should make keeping tile clean a breeze.

Cow 9

Thanks for the reply! So now daily drying with a squeegee or towel? No weekly scrubbing of the grout with a toothbrush or something?

I really want to go tile but I have nightmares about the maintenance and I think they are way overblown in my head. I can do what you described no problem. I'm installing a ceiling fan this spring.

I really appreciate the reply.

Bud Cline

Go plastic, you will be better off. Sounds like you aren't that interested in cleaning so the plastic will be much easier to deal with.

Cow 9

I'm willing to do some upkeep, I'm trying to figure out exactly how much it is.

Bud Cline

And how would you determine that? How much cleaning you would have to do would have to do with the frequency with which the shower was used. How much cleaning you would have to do would have to do with the products you use to take a shower. How much cleaning you would have to do would have to do with whatever else you may do in the shower. If you die your hair and rinse it in the shower that's another cleaning-box check mark. Cleaning the grout is a special kind of animal.

Trust me. You won't be happy with a ceramic tile shower's upkeep and you won't be happy with a ceramic tile-showers cost to install.

Cow 9

Well, fortunately I won't have to pay someone to do the install as I will be doing it myself. This is part of the reason I'm considering tile, is the value it will add in resale.

If the upkeep is nothing more than spraying it down after each use, then using some spray cleaner on it every week or two and spraying that off, then that's really no problem. I can try to avoid purchasing any soaps or shampoos that would give the grout more of an issue. I'm a guy and I don't color my hair or anything so it's pretty basic as far as what the shower would see for products being used.

If, however, the upkeep is making sure the shower is 100% dry/moisture free after each use, and a weekly toothbrush scrubbing of the grout then I'm going to rule it out.